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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — soda
  4. charge — in control
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — to grow
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. charge — a price
  12. chest — a box
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. content — happy
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — a trainer

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