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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: bank · rule · toast · club · wake · bass · chest · charge

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. charge — in control
  4. wake — a trail
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bass — the fish
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chest — of your body
  10. toast — bread
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chest — a box
  16. rule — government
  17. charge — a price
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — low music
  23. rule — a law
  24. toast — the most admired

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