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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bank — for money
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. toast — bread
  10. rule — government
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — of a river
  13. clip — for paper
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. plane — a tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. clip — a video
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — for money

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