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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: rule · bank · bay · charge · band · leaves · key · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. charge — in control
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rule — government
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — of a river
  11. key — the most important part
  12. band — a music group
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — in music
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. band — a ring
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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