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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: cell · bear · sharp · pitcher · spring · straw · charge · snap

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — of water
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — a phone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — clever
  24. snap — to click

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