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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — in football
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — in control
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season

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