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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: kid · bank · fan · wind · roll · rock · wake · charge

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. roll — a list
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kid — child
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wind — moving air
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. charge — in control
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — a supporter

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