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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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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: bank · snap · mine · mate · charge · wound · ruler · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — a price
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mine — for digging
  6. charge — electricity
  7. snap — to click
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. charge — in control
  24. mine — an explosive

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