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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 · spring · dip · file · march · mug · foot · charge

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mug — a face
  8. charge — in control
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. file — a line of people
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mug — to rob
  23. charge — a price
  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