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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to click
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pop — soda
  24. deal — a big deal

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