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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 120 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: arm · press · charge · ruler · wave · snap · plane · bound

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. plane — a tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — a price
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. charge — electricity
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — in control
  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