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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — a box
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. land — ground
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — in control
  13. land — to come down
  14. spell — a short time
  15. land — a country
  16. charge — a price
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. drill — a practice
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bank — of a river
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — the tool

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