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

Word bank: charge · lean · mouse · kick · pound · present · bank · fork

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — there
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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