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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
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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: rock · bulb · row · spring · mine · charge · season · stem

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — a price
  4. mine — for digging
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rock — music
  12. row — a line
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. season — of the year
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spring — the season
  18. stem — to come from
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — in sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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