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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.

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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: pass · spring · stem · can · charge · ball · prune · safe

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. can — to be able to
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pass — a permit
  13. charge — in control
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a dance
  17. charge — a price
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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