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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — rain
  4. bank — of a river
  5. charge — a price
  6. capital — money
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. shower — to wash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — in control
  17. capital — a city
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ball — a dance
  24. charge — electricity

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