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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: wake · lean · net · bulb · saw · racket · pass · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. net — for catching
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. charge — in control
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. lean — to bend
  19. net — in sport
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. net — after costs
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — a loud noise

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