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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — in control
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — a price
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — to rest against

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