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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · bulb · mug · bear · lie · arm · degree · race

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — to recline
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — electricity
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mug — a cup
  17. degree — temperature
  18. charge — a price
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — a face
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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