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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 116 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: snap · bulb · face · trunk · stand · game · charge · mate

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stand — to bear
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — to breed
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — a match
  15. mate — a friend
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — in control
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mate — a partner
  24. face — to confront

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