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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. charge — a price
  8. kick — in football
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — a box
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. spring — the season
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — of water
  20. board — a committee
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spring — a coil
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — electricity

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