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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. content — the amount
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — happy
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. charge — a price
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tear — from crying

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