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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
468
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: content · spring · mate · cell · plane · charge · present · bulb

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mate — to breed
  6. plane — a tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — a phone
  9. content — the amount
  10. present — a gift
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spring — a coil
  15. charge — in control
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — of water
  22. content — happy
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — there

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