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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: bore · swing · leaves · saw · bulb · wave · season · charge

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. season — in sport
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. charge — in control

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