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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · fan · prune · charge · last · spring · rash · press

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — in control
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. press — to push
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. press — newspapers
  11. charge — a price
  12. game — a match
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — final
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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