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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. fine — all right
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — to play on
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — a price
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. swing — music
  12. bank — of a river
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wind — moving air

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