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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: bay · shower · charge · fork · trunk · lean · bass · bank

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — thin
  8. shower — rain
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bass — low music
  16. charge — in control
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the fish

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