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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: ground · spell · charge · press · court · fall · present · lean

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — magic
  5. fall — the season
  6. present — a gift
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spell — letters
  18. ground — a position
  19. court — for sport
  20. press — to push
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — thin
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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