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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: mate · charge · spring · wave · trunk · bay · plane · land

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. charge — a price
  3. land — ground
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. spring — of water
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mate — a friend
  14. charge — in control
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. spring — the season
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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