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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: drill · dip · press · bore · game · staff · kid · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. game — a match
  4. staff — employees
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. drill — the tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kid — to tease
  10. drill — army training
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to sink
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kid — child
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. charge — a price
  24. drill — a practice

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