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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · bay · march · rash · charge · wave · spring · trunk

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. march — music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — in control
  6. spring — the season
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spring — a coil
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rash — hasty
  17. march — the month
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. march — the month

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