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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. club — for dancing
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bank — of a river
  6. suit — clothes
  7. charge — in control
  8. band — a music group
  9. capital — a city
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. capital — money
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. charge — electricity
  24. band — a ring

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