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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 120 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.

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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: cabinet · cue · charge · bear · club · snap · present · spring

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. snap — to click
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. present — the time now
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cue — a hint
  11. present — there
  12. charge — a price
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — a group
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — of water
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. club — for golf
  21. present — a gift
  22. spring — the season
  23. charge — in control
  24. club — for dancing

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