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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: wind · rule · key · bulb · charge · fine · toast · spell

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — in control
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rule — government
  17. charge — electricity
  18. key — in music
  19. rule — a law
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — a price
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rule — to rule out

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