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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: cabinet · spring · snap · cell · charge · staff · mark · rock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — a price
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. charge — in control
  6. spring — a coil
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — the season
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — of water
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to click
  24. cell — in biology

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