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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: leaves · trunk · toast · mouse · spring · spell · squash · charge

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. squash — the sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. charge — electricity
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spring — a coil
  24. trunk — of a car

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