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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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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: file · board · straw · cell · toast · charge · present · bank

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — in control
  4. file — a line of people
  5. toast — bread
  6. cell — in biology
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — a phone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. present — the time now
  13. file — a tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. board — a committee
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. board — to get on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. present — a gift
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — there
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. file — a document
  24. straw — dry grass

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