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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: firm · tube · fall · content · spell · bulb · charge · lie

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — a short time
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. charge — in control
  8. firm — a company
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — happy
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — to recline

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