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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: charge · drill · temple · bay · court · bulb · band · wave

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a ring
  4. charge — in control
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — for sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. drill — the tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of a king
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — of law
  22. charge — electricity
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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