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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: bulb · bear · charge · march · last · bore · fan · roll

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — final
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bore — to tire
  10. charge — in control
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. roll — a list
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — to go on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. bore — to drill
  24. last — finally

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