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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: prune · press · capital · rush · fall · wake · charge · bark

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. prune — to trim
  3. press — to push
  4. charge — a price
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fall — the season
  11. capital — money
  12. charge — in control
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. capital — a city
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wake — before a funeral

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