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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: tear · present · hand · stick · bank · wind · charge · perch

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — a gift
  5. hand — help
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. charge — in control
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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