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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: wake · charge · cabinet · shower · mark · lie · court · bulb

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. charge — in control
  2. court — for sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — rain
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. charge — a price
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. court — of a king
  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