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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: bank · swing · tube · shower · lean · lie · charge · mate

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — a container
  6. mate — to breed
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. bank — of a river
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — thin
  13. charge — in control
  14. lie — to recline
  15. charge — a price
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lie — an untruth

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