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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bank — of a river
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — to tease
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — in control
  21. kid — child
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. tear — from crying

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