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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: fall · chest · rest · bank · safe · ball · face · charge

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ball — a great time
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — to drop
  6. face — to confront
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chest — a box
  14. fall — the season
  15. rest — a break
  16. chest — of your body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — a price
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rest — what's left

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