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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 116 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: present · charge · face · bulb · bound · march · swing · cabinet

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. march — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — there
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — to point toward
  14. march — the month
  15. present — a gift
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — part of the head
  22. charge — electricity
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — certain

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