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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: key · spell · charge · fan · patient · wake · band · bulb

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — electricity
  4. band — a music group
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — magic
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — a price
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — in control
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — in music
  22. band — a ring
  23. spell — letters
  24. key — for a lock

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