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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · rule · bank · leaves · clip · charge · degree · pitcher

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — a price
  7. rule — government
  8. charge — electricity
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rule — a law
  14. clip — a video
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. charge — in control
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bank — for money

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