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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: pop · charge · lean · fine · cold · bulb · bank · hide

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pop — soda
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lean — to bend
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — thin
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — animal skin

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