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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: stick · lean · season · cap · bank · pound · cold · charge

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. charge — in control
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lean — thin

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