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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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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: board · hand · bay · charge · chest · fine · swing · bank

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. charge — in control
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — music
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. board — a committee
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chest — a box
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. charge — a price
  22. board — to get on
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — electricity

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