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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · bound · charge · pop · plane · bulb

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — certain

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