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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: face · cabinet · shower · cue · hand · bank · can · charge

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. shower — to wash
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — a price
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — help
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — in cards
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hand — part of the body

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