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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: charge · wake · bulb · nail · stick · race · spring · game

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spring — the season
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. race — a contest
  13. game — a match
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — a trail
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — a coil
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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