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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: wave · charge · present · court · bank · toast · rock · cabinet

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. present — the time now
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rock — a stone
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — music
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — there
  16. court — of a king
  17. toast — bread
  18. charge — in control
  19. present — a gift
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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