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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — in control
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bound — tied together
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. drill — army training
  11. bound — obliged
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spell — a short time
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — letters
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. drill — the tool
  24. vault — a safe

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