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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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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — in sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spell — magic
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spell — letters
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. charge — electricity
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. board — a committee
  24. calf — a young animal

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