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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: press · charge · mate · craft · can · bulb · dip · squash

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — boats
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — a partner
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — to crush
  19. press — to push
  20. dip — to sink
  21. charge — in control
  22. mate — a friend
  23. charge — a price
  24. can — to be able to

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