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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: clip · toast · face · wave · charge · wind · bulb · drill

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. face — to confront
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. clip — a video
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. charge — a price
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. toast — bread
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wave — with your hand

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