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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cell — a phone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. charge — electricity
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cell — in biology
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. suit — clothes
  22. charge — a price
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bore — to tire

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