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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rest — a break
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — in control
  8. file — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a hat
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — electricity
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a document
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — what's left

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