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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. charge — a price
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — thin
  13. field — a subject
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — a lid
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. field — farmland
  20. charge — in control
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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