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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: craft · prune · charge · roll · current · deal · press · face

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. current — electric
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — to push
  8. deal — to handle
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to point toward
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — newspapers
  17. roll — a list
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. craft — a skill
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — a price
  24. prune — the fruit

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