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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — an aim
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. object — a thing
  23. season — of the year
  24. branch — of a tree

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