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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.

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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: press · ruler · dip · mark · charge · straw · deal · shower

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — in control
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. press — to push
  11. shower — to wash
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. charge — a price
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — to sink
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — rain
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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