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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. charge — in control
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. drill — army training
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. wake — a trail
  18. sharp — with an edge

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