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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — low music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pitch — completely
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — thin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. key — in music

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