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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. rest — a break
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — to protest
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — a price
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rest — what's left
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. branch — a division
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. foot — a measure
  20. object — an aim
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. object — a thing
  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