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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: last · fall · bulb · chip · temple · pound · charge · tube

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tube — a container
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. last — final
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pound — a weight
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — finally
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — to go on
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. tube — in a tire

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