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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 120 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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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 · ruler · bank · spell · perch · charge · key · rest

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — of a river
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — in control
  10. fall — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — a break
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — letters
  21. key — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spell — magic

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