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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.

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 · stick · staff · face · lean · drill · mouse · bank

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to confront
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — thin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — to point toward
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. drill — army training

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