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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 120 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: land · bowl · snap · leaves · mate · charge · season · bulb

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — of the year
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. season — in sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — in control
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. snap — to click
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — a partner
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. land — a country
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. land — ground
  24. charge — electricity

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