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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: charge · bank · racket · spring · rush · bound · lie · ruler

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lie — to recline
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — a price
  8. spring — of water
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bound — certain
  24. bank — of a river

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