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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · bound · cap · wound · hide · foot · charge · press

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — tied together
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — certain
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rest — a break
  18. foot — a measure
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a hat
  21. press — to push
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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