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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.

Words on the sheet
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: charge · present · bank · rock · clip · content · squash · hide

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — to cut
  5. present — a gift
  6. charge — in control
  7. rock — music
  8. content — the amount
  9. clip — a video
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — the time now
  20. charge — a price
  21. present — there
  22. squash — the sport
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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