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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · charge · club · spring · cabinet · drill · foot · press

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. foot — a measure
  3. club — for dancing
  4. drill — the tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. spring — a coil
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. press — newspapers
  12. charge — a price
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. drill — a practice
  21. club — for golf
  22. drill — army training
  23. club — a group
  24. foot — the bottom

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