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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — letters
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spell — magic
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — a price

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