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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.

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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: charge · shower · board · season · bulb · rush · capital · sharp

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — rain
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. season — of the year
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — a price
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rush — hurry
  14. capital — money
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — clever
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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