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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 120 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: last · chair · bulb · dip · charge · key · pass · fan

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — finally
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. last — to go on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chair — a leader
  22. key — in music
  23. charge — in control
  24. fan — a supporter

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