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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.

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: bulb · bark · mine · charge · can · root · file · wound

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a document
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. root — of a word
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — in control
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — electricity

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