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

Word bank: band · charge · bulb · hand · row · fan

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. row — a line
  3. charge — electricity
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a ring
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help

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