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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. land — a country
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — electricity
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — to get on
  21. land — ground
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. land — to come down

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