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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
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: mine · bear · bass · pitcher · bulb · lash · spell · charge

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — a price
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. charge — in control
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spell — a short time
  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