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

Word bank: bat · rock · object · charge · stick · bank · fall · rest

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rock — music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. charge — in control
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. object — an aim
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. charge — a price
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fall — the season

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