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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — a path
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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