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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.

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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 · rule · press · tube · craft · wave · bark · suit

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. craft — boats
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. charge — electricity
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. press — to push
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. wave — of the sea

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