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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rest — a break
  7. row — a line
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — a price
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. charge — electricity
  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