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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — rain
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. club — for golf
  7. charge — electricity
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — happening now
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — to wash
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. club — a group
  21. drill — a practice
  22. club — for dancing
  23. current — of water
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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