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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: bulb · charge · face · fall · chest · mine · suit · file

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. chest — a box
  6. mine — for digging
  7. charge — a price
  8. fall — the season
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — part of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — in control
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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