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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: wind · rest · object · bulb · spring · charge · mug · cell

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mug — a cup
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. object — to protest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. charge — a price
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rest — a break
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — the season

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