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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: bulb · wax · jam · press · current · stem · rash · content

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. content — happy
  6. wax — to grow
  7. current — happening now
  8. press — to push
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. current — of water
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. content — the amount
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. current — electric
  24. press — a publisher

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