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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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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: object · kid · wave · bat · bowl · spring · roll · charge

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. object — an aim
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. kid — child
  8. roll — a cake
  9. object — to protest
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — a list
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — a thing
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. charge — electricity

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