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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · last · press · chest · pit · mug · prune · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. face — to point toward
  3. last — final
  4. pit — in a race
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — finally
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chest — of your body
  10. press — a publisher
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mug — a face
  14. charge — a price
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — part of the head
  18. charge — in control
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. face — to confront
  23. chest — a box
  24. pit — a hole

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