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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: charge · bulb · bay · kick · plane · degree · rule · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spring — of water
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kick — in football
  19. plane — a tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. charge — a price
  24. plane — an aircraft

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