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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 120 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: bear · charge · bulb · spell · pass · stock · leaves · snap

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bulb — for light
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pass — a permit
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spell — magic
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. charge — in control
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — of a plant

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