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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: date · snap · arm · bulb · charge · mouse · land · wave

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. charge — in control
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to click
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. charge — a price
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. date — the fruit
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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