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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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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bank — of a river
  6. charge — in control
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — to visit
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — certain
  13. file — a tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pop — music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — for money
  23. charge — a price
  24. pop — soda

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