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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 · wind · straw · bank · net · fine · wake · perch

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. net — after costs
  5. fine — all right
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wake — a trail
  8. charge — in control
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. net — in sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bank — of a river
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. net — for catching
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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