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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — to push
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. charge — in control
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. press — a publisher
  11. march — music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. press — newspapers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — to bear
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. jam — in traffic

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