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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: present · charge · chip · shower · pop · hide · bank · staff

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — a gift
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. present — the time now
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — rain
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — a stick
  22. present — there
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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