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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · bank · cell · lash · ball · cabinet · wound · fine

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bank — for money
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. charge — in control
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. fine — all right
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wound — an injury

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