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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.

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: rock · pitcher · bank · stem · fall · present · clip · charge

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. clip — a video
  8. charge — electricity
  9. present — a gift
  10. rock — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. present — there
  14. clip — to cut
  15. charge — a price
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — in control
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. clip — for paper
  24. present — the time now

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