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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: bulb · mine · charge · present · wave · stick · press · march

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. march — music
  3. press — to push
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — for digging
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — the time now
  15. press — newspapers
  16. present — there
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — electricity
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. charge — in control

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