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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: last · spring · mouse · charge · bulb · stick · kid · rock

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — music
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — child
  16. charge — a price
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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