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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 120 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: hand · rock · arm · mine · charge · bowl · bear · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — an explosive

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