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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — in control
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mark — to pay attention

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