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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — certain
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bound — obliged
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — to crush
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rock — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rock — a stone

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