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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · fall · content · spring · charge · calf · lash · tube

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — electricity
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spring — the season
  9. tube — a container
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spring — of water
  17. charge — a price
  18. content — the amount
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fall — the season
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. charge — in control
  24. mine — for digging

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