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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — in control
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. charge — a price
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chest — of your body
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lean — to bend
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chest — a box
  18. lie — to recline
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lean — thin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to rest against

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