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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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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: pop · charge · rest · rash · bank · chair · dip · fall

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chair — a leader
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rest — a break
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — a price
  13. pop — soda
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — a series
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bank — for money

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