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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
468
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: last · charge · bulb · cold · staff · can · bore · scale

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — an illness
  5. scale — in music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. scale — size or range
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — finally
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — final
  19. charge — in control
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — to go on
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bulb — for light

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