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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · kick · file · spell · cabinet · wake · charge · bank

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — a price
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spell — letters
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. file — a document
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wake — before a funeral

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