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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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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: swing · charge · bulb · pop · fall · trunk · tear · capital

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pop — soda
  5. capital — a city
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. capital — money
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fall — the season
  16. swing — music
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — to drop

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