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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 120 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: row · ground · bank · tube · can · wound · charge · saw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. charge — in control
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. charge — a price
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. row — a quarrel

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