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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 116 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: face · wake · charge · bulb · content · straw · bear · cell

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cell — in biology
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — a price
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — to confront
  10. content — the amount
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bear — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. charge — in control

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