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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rest — a break
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. charge — in control
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — hurry

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