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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
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: rash · hide · press · chair · charge · bore · pop · wave

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. pop — soda
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pop — to visit
  24. press — to push

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