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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — hasty
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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