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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — thin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. land — to come down
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. land — a country
  12. charge — a price
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — ground
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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