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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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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: prune · rule · press · race · rush · drill · face · pop

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — a law
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. face — to point toward
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — to push
  11. drill — army training
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pop — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. race — humankind
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — to rule out

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