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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.

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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spring — of water
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. charge — a price
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — a penalty

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