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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 · wound · press · prune · march · plane · stand · drill

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. march — the month
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. drill — army training
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. drill — a practice
  9. charge — in control
  10. prune — to trim
  11. press — to push
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. press — a publisher
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — a price
  24. plane — in geometry

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