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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: press · toast · prune · fan · rule · vault · charge · craft

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. toast — bread
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — a price
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. craft — boats
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — in control
  23. fan — a supporter
  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