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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: charge · chest · pass · rule · fine · wind · bulb · cold

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cold — not warm
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fine — all right
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rule — government
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rule — a law
  24. chest — a box

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