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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: net · press · spell · charge · saw · trunk · hand · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. press — to push
  3. spell — a short time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. charge — electricity
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spell — magic
  12. charge — a price
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — 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