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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
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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 · season · current · wind · stem · charge · content · foot

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. current — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. press — newspapers
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — a publisher
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. content — the amount
  23. foot — a measure
  24. press — to push

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