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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — in control
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — a country
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cell — in biology
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — a line
  12. land — ground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — a price
  15. fall — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. land — to come down
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — of water
  24. fall — to drop

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