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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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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: bank · capital · hide · kick · fork · charge · roll · temple

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — in football
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — in a road
  15. roll — a list
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. charge — in control
  19. capital — money
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fork — to eat with

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