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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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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 · staff · wind · content · bat · roll · charge · mug

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — a stick
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mug — to rob
  11. roll — a list
  12. mug — a cup
  13. charge — a price
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. charge — in control
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — a face
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — the animal
  24. content — happy

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