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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 116 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: nail · ruler · press · ground · rush · cabinet · wind · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ground — a position
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — the earth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — hurry
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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