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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: wax · press · jam · charge · hand · bowl · bulb · calf

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. charge — in control
  5. press — to push
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. charge — a price
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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