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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · chair · bank · court · fine · charge · saw · wound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — all right
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — for sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. court — of law
  18. fine — high quality
  19. charge — a price
  20. wound — an injury
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bank — of a river
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — to sit on

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