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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: spring · arm · charge · saw · board · lash · ball · patient

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spring — the season
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — of water
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spring — a coil
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. patient — a sick person

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