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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · bank · charge · spell · bark · cue · kick · capital

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — electricity
  4. capital — money
  5. spell — letters
  6. cue — a signal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — in control
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — hasty
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — a series

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