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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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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: squash · cell · suit · bulb · ground · charge · wind · nail

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — in control
  9. suit — clothes
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — to fit

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