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

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — low music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. present — the time now
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. charge — in control
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. ball — a great time

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