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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: firm · bulb · tube · charge · fork · mug · wave · cell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. charge — electricity
  5. firm — decided
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — a container
  10. mug — a face
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. firm — a company
  14. cell — in biology
  15. firm — steady
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — in a road

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