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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: press · arm · kick · saw · mouse · wax · charge · land

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. saw — the tool
  3. press — to push
  4. wax — to grow
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — in control
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kick — in football
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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