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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
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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: season · mark · bark · lie · cue · charge · bulb · mate

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. season — in sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. charge — in control
  11. cue — for pool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — a friend

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