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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 120 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: tube · pound · bat · cell · bulb · lash · current · charge

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — happening now
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. charge — a price
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — electricity
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. current — electric

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