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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.

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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: toast · leaves · bat · bark · charge · bank · spell · firm

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. toast — bread
  5. charge — a price
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. firm — steady
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bank — of a river
  11. firm — a company
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — a short time
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — decided
  24. bark — to shout

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