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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 116 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: fork · cell · charge · bulb · branch · can · dip · spring

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — a phone
  13. charge — in control
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fork — to eat with

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