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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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · lie · charge · wind · bulb · stick

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. 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. charge — electricity
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — a publisher
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — to push
  17. charge — in control
  18. 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