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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. season — in sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — a series
  14. season — of the year
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. press — newspapers
  21. charge — in control
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lean — thin

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