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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — tied together
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — a price
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to click
  10. charge — electricity
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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