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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a partner
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tear — to rip
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. charge — a price
  18. spring — the season
  19. tear — from crying
  20. land — ground
  21. mate — to breed
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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