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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — in control
  6. bark — to shout
  7. scale — in music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cap — a hat
  12. charge — a price
  13. cell — in biology
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — to be able to

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