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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: land · bass · charge · leaves · can · spring · mate · mug

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — to come down
  8. bass — the fish
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spring — of water
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — a face
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. charge — in control
  19. mate — a friend
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spring — the season
  23. land — a country
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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