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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — to paddle
  3. charge — a price
  4. last — final
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. bear — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — in control
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. last — to go on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. row — a line
  24. bulb — for light

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