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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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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 · wind · stem · stand · cabinet · press

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant

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