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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: scale · bear · rush · stick · bulb · bore · charge · safe

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. scale — size or range
  5. charge — in control
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — in music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to drill
  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