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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.

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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 · press · file · rush · trunk · drill · stick · ruler

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. drill — army training
  18. file — a line of people
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — a price
  24. press — newspapers

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