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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · spring · foot · can · charge · cell · present · shower

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — a gift
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cell — a phone
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. present — there
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. present — the time now
  24. charge — a price

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