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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
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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: bulb · bound · cell · wake · hand · rule · rest · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hand — help
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — a law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — government
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hand — part of the body

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