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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
468
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: ball · roll · hide · key · bank · wound · charge · rule

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bank — of a river
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. roll — a list
  13. bank — for money
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a great time
  18. key — in music
  19. rule — government
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rule — a law
  22. key — the most important part
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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