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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. shower — rain
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — for light
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mug — a face
  9. shower — to wash
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. charge — in control
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — final
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mug — a cup
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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