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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · march · bank · charge · content · leaves

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — in control
  12. content — the amount
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away

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