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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.

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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: bulb · wake · mug · clip · mine · present · charge · face

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. present — a gift
  3. face — part of the head
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mine — for digging
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mug — a face
  13. present — the time now
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. clip — a video
  18. present — there
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mug — a cup
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — to confront
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bulb — of a plant

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