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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 · mate · press · fan · rash · rule · wake · plane

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rule — government
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — to breed
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rash — hasty

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