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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bear — to put up with

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