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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: charge · mark · cabinet · kick · bulb · land · track · tear

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. land — a country
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — a path
  7. land — ground
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — in control
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — to rip
  18. kick — in football
  19. mark — a grade
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — to come down
  23. tear — from crying
  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