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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. staff — a stick
  14. band — a ring
  15. bat — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — magic
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — a price

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