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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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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: bulb · saw · hand · fall · bay · prune · pitcher · charge

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — in control
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — help
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. prune — to trim

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