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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.

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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 · fan · charge · cell · wave · mine · key · bank

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. kick — in football
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. key — in music
  11. charge — a price
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bank — of a river
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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