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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 120 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: bear · bulb · charge · straw · root · mine · stick · dip

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — for digging
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — the animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — the animal

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