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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bank — of a river
  3. charge — a price
  4. dip — to sink
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — help
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — electricity
  13. club — a group
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — in cards
  16. object — an aim
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. club — for dancing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — a thing
  22. charge — in control
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stand — for spectators

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