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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 · charge · mug · net · drill · roll · lie · season

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mug — to rob
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — in sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — of the year
  13. charge — in control
  14. mug — a face
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — to recline
  18. drill — the tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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