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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: charge · object · bulb · spell · cold · perch · wind · lie

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lie — to recline
  11. object — an aim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — a thing
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — to protest

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