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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: bulb · spring · content · lean · jam · bay · fine · charge

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — the amount
  4. charge — electricity
  5. content — happy
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. charge — in control
  11. lean — thin
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spring — the season
  22. fine — all right
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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