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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pit — a hole
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bat — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — all right
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — high quality

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