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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: ball · row · fall · bank · cell · charge · bulb · tube

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. fall — the season
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — a line
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fall — to drop
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ball — a dance
  21. row — to paddle
  22. charge — in control
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bank — of a river

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