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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: wind · bore · mate · staff · mark · fan · bulb · charge

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to drill

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