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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · wax · charge · sharp · pitcher · tube · bulb · spell

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — in control
  12. spell — letters
  13. charge — a price
  14. wax — to grow
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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