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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: bear · bulb · charge · band · swing · wake · kick · lean

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lean — thin
  6. swing — music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — in golf
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — a price
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a music group
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wake — a trail
  22. charge — in control
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a ring

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