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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
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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: charge · press · ruler · stick · net · root · spell · hide

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. charge — in control
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — a price
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — to push
  11. net — for catching
  12. spell — magic
  13. charge — electricity
  14. press — newspapers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — after costs
  19. root — of a word
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — in sport

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