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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 120 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: hand · press · bear · spring · charge · mate · club · foot

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hand — help
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. charge — a price
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spring — the season
  13. press — a publisher
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — a friend
  16. press — newspapers
  17. foot — a measure
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — a group
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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