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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · wound · arm · cold · staff · bulb · charge · spell

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cold — an illness
  3. staff — a stick
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — magic
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — a price
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cold — not warm
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — a part of something

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