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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 116 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: bulb · kid · cap · sharp · charge · squash · cold · object

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — to tease
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cold — not warm
  7. object — a thing
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — to protest
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. kid — child
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cold — an illness
  24. squash — to crush

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