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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · bore · staff · press · fall · charge · leaves · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — to push
  4. fall — the season
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bore — to tire
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — to drill
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. press — newspapers
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com