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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. band — a music group
  21. charge — a price
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spring — a coil

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