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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: snap · toast · bulb · bound · mate · bear · game · charge

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. game — a match
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — the animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to click
  16. mate — a friend
  17. charge — in control
  18. toast — bread
  19. bound — tied together
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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