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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.

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: spring · cell · rest · wound · charge · bay · can · bulb

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rest — a break
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — in control
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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