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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: fall · charge · current · safe · kick · hand · prune · bulb

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — in control
  11. current — happening now
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — help
  14. fall — the season
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. charge — a price
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — of water
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. current — electric

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