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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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — in control
  5. band — a music group
  6. fall — the season
  7. present — there
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — in sport
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. present — a gift
  18. cell — in biology
  19. net — after costs
  20. band — a ring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. charge — electricity

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