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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: bulb · current · prune · charge · patient · temple · fork · cell

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. charge — in control
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — a phone
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cell — in biology
  24. charge — a price

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