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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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468
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: stand · season · tube · lie · charge · file · bank · squash

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bank — of a river
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bank — for money
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tube — the underground
  15. season — in sport
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. charge — in control
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — of the year
  22. bank — for money
  23. file — a document
  24. charge — a price

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