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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cold — an illness
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — in music
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cold — not warm

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