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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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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: chair · bulb · bay · chest · charge · shower · pass · mate

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chest — a box
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mate — a partner

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