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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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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: rule · file · charge · press · bulb · staff

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — newspapers
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — to push
  10. rule — government
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rule — a law
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — electricity
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a tool
  18. bulb — for light

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