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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 120 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: nail · bank · safe · fan · hide · tube · charge · scale

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. scale — in music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — a container
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — in control

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