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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: bank · mate · fall · arm · rash · scale · mug · charge

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mate — to breed
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — a series

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