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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: bulb · tear · leaves · arm · kid · bank · coach · charge

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — child
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. charge — in control
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tear — to rip
  24. arm — part of the body

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