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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 116 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: charge · swing · hand · fall · staff · chair · rock · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — in control
  3. hand — help
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — a price
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — a stick
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fall — the season
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — a stone
  18. staff — employees
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rock — music
  23. swing — music
  24. chair — a leader

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