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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: last · press · charge · fan · rush · lie · saw · pass

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — in control
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. last — finally
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — to go on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — to push
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. charge — a price
  21. pass — a permit
  22. last — final
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pass — to spend time

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