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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: mug · clip · spell · rush · jam · band · bulb · charge

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — in control
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spell — letters
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. mug — a cup
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. clip — for paper
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mug — a face
  19. band — a ring
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spell — a short time
  22. band — a music group
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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