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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: bank · court · charge · face · straw · wake · shower · ruler

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. face — to point toward
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — a price
  9. shower — rain
  10. face — to confront
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. face — part of the head
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — of a king
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. charge — in control

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