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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: charge · prune · press · spring · present · chest · fine · root

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chest — a box
  5. charge — a price
  6. chest — of your body
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. present — the time now
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spring — the season
  14. chest — of your body
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. charge — electricity
  18. present — there
  19. fine — all right
  20. spring — of water
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. prune — to trim

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