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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. charge — a price
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — to push
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cap — a lid
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to bend
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cap — a hat

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