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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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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: rush · bowl · club · hide · shower · charge · stick · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — a price
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. club — for golf
  18. shower — rain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. club — for dancing
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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