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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — in cards
  10. craft — boats
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hand — help
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — the earth
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ground — crushed
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. charge — in control
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — a position
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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