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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: bear · rush · capital · fall · dip · press · current · prune

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. current — of water
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fall — the season
  5. prune — to trim
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. current — electric
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. press — to push
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — money
  24. dip — to sink

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