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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — a trace
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spring — a coil
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — a series
  16. capital — a city
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — a price
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — on the skin
  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