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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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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: field · spell · fine · wake · land · charge · face · bulb

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. charge — a price
  3. land — a country
  4. spell — magic
  5. face — to point toward
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fine — high quality
  10. charge — in control
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — to come down
  13. spell — letters
  14. fine — all right
  15. land — ground
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. field — a subject
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bulb — for light

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