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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — government
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. net — for catching
  14. shower — to wash
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rule — a law
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — the sport
  22. shower — rain
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of a car

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