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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: vault · bulb · charge · shower · lean · prune · jam · press

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. shower — rain
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — a publisher
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lean — thin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. press — to push
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — a safe
  21. press — newspapers
  22. charge — a price
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. shower — to wash

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