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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · bulb · charge · chest · fan · court · roll · hide

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. court — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — electricity
  11. roll — a list
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chest — of your body
  15. court — of a king
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. roll — a cake
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — in control
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — a box
  24. court — of law

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