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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: bulb · game · mate · saw · kick · charge · bound · cell

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. kick — in football
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. game — wild animals
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — in control
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cell — in biology

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