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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. land — ground
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fall — the season
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. land — a country
  24. charge — in control

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