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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — in control
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chip — for betting
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. charge — a price
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fall — the season
  24. firm — steady

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