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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cold — not warm
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — an illness
  11. court — for sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — in control
  19. court — of a king
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of law
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. squash — the vegetable

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