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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. last — final
  3. scale — in music
  4. firm — decided
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. firm — steady
  10. last — to go on
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — thin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. last — finally
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to bend

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