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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 · stick · wake · stand · press · stem

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — to push
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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