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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: mug · charge · lean · present · bulb · bass · chest · deal

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — a gift
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — there
  11. charge — in control
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — a box
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the instrument

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