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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — the season
  7. fall — the season
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — of water
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — in control

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