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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bank — for money
  5. rule — a law
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bank — of a river
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — government
  18. lean — thin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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