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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. charge — electricity
  3. content — the amount
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. charge — a price
  14. spell — magic
  15. chair — a leader
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bank — for money
  18. spell — letters
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — a container

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