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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · bulb · mark · charge · wind · staff · trunk · band

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. degree — temperature
  3. band — a music group
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — in control
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mark — a trace
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. staff — employees
  19. degree — from a university
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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