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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · bulb · wax · rock · present · charge · press · snap

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — in control
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bulb — for light
  23. present — the time now
  24. wax — for sculpting

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