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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: ground · mouse · bulb · track · prune · charge · face · sharp

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. face — to confront
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — the earth
  14. track — a path
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. charge — in control
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — a price

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