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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — to wash
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — electric
  18. shower — rain
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mouse — the animal

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