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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: jam · mate · charge · cabinet · bass · spell · press · hand

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mate — a friend
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. spell — letters
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hand — help
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a partner
  19. charge — in control
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bass — the instrument

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