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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: trunk · charge · bank · race · march · fan · wind · object

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. object — an aim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — electricity
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — a price
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — for money
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — to protest

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