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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: bank · kick · bound · charge · capital · straw · pop · rest

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. kick — in football
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — in control
  11. rest — a break
  12. charge — a price
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. pop — soda
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. capital — money
  24. straw — a straw man

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