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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: content · calf · rule · chest · kid · charge · press · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rule — a law
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chest — a box
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — of your body
  15. charge — in control
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. charge — a price
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — government
  24. content — videos and posts

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