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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.

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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: safe · pound · land · charge · spell · spring · kick · bass

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. spell — magic
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bass — the fish
  7. charge — in control
  8. kick — in football
  9. spring — a coil
  10. land — a country
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — a price
  15. spring — of water
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bass — low music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. spell — letters
  24. safe — out of danger

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