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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: bowl · mine · shower · charge · file · mark · bank · face

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mark — a trace
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. shower — to wash
  20. face — to point toward
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — rain
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a line of people

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