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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 · fork · mug · charge · temple · tear · stock · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — to push
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — a price
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fork — in a road
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hand — in cards
  19. charge — in control
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mug — a face
  22. stock — shares
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hand — 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