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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: kick · charge · bank · spell · cue · pitch · wave · fall

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — in football
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. charge — in control
  22. spell — letters
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — with your hand

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