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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — a price
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. land — ground
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ball — a dance
  8. charge — in control
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. file — a tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lie — to recline
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — a country
  19. file — a line of people
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — an untruth

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