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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — a series
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. charge — in control
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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