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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: bank · bat · charge · calf · rash · roll · fine · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. charge — a price
  4. roll — a list
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bat — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. charge — in control
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fine — all right
  24. calf — a young animal

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