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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: bay · leaves · chest · spring · bass · drill · fine · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. bass — low music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spring — of water
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — a practice
  11. charge — a price
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — army training
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bass — the fish

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