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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rush — hurry
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. bank — of a river
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. dip — to sink
  11. craft — a skill
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — boats
  14. face — part of the head
  15. swing — music
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. face — to confront
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — in control
  24. swing — in golf

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