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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: spell · rest · charge · bulb · pop · bear · land · cabinet

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. pop — soda
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — to come down
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pop — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. land — ground
  22. spell — letters
  23. rest — a break
  24. bulb — of a plant

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