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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. snap — to click
  5. charge — a price
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — in control
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. craft — boats
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cap — a hat
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — of a plant

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