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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · spell · charge · rock · bulb · race · mate · fall

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — a price
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. charge — in control
  11. spell — a short time
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — of the year
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — magic
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — in sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. mate — a friend
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

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