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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · wind · bulb · mug · cue · season · charge · wax

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a face
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — in control
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — of the year
  20. wax — to grow
  21. season — in sport
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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