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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 116 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.

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 · wave · snap · lie · rule · season · bulb · pitcher

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lie — to recline

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