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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: charge · mug · press · drill · hand · season · pop · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — help
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pop — soda
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — of the year
  14. drill — the tool
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — in sport
  17. press — newspapers
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — a price
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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