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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: prune · bay · safe · bulb · spell · face · charge · pitcher

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. face — part of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — a price
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. charge — in control
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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