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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.

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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: spring · wave · bowl · tear · band · ground · charge · firm

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — in control
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. band — a ring
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. band — a music group
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — a company
  17. spring — the season
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — steady
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ground — a position
  23. charge — electricity
  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