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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: row · charge · hand · press · clip · ruler · face · plane

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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. clip — to cut
  4. charge — a price
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. row — to paddle
  8. face — to confront
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. clip — a video
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — help
  15. press — a publisher
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. face — to point toward
  19. row — a line
  20. charge — in control
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. plane — an aircraft

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