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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: swing · charge · bear · saw · cue · last · bulb · snap

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. swing — in golf
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — in control
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — to go on
  20. swing — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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