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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — a price
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — certain
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. face — to confront
  22. bank — of a river
  23. march — music
  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