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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
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: cell · charge · spring · dip · content · bark · mouse · lean

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. charge — in control
  3. spring — the season
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. content — the amount
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — happy
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. charge — a price
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lean — thin
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cell — a phone

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