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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. key — in music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. charge — in control
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bank — of a river
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — of water
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spring — the season
  17. charge — a price
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hand — help
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — in cards

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