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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: arm · mug · perch · charge · kick · cabinet · prune · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — a price
  4. kick — in football
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a face
  11. charge — in control
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mug — to rob
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — of a river
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — for a bird

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