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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: roll · branch · spring · cell · charge · bear · net · can

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. charge — electricity
  4. net — for catching
  5. branch — a division
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. net — after costs
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. net — in sport
  13. cell — a phone
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — in control
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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