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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. land — ground
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — a country
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — to come down
  19. charge — a price
  20. rock — music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bank — for money

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