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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — a price
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — in control
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bulb — of a plant

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