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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: charge · wake · safe · bank · straw · mouse · band · fall

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fall — the season
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — in control
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fall — to drop
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. band — a ring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a music group
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fall — to drop

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