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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: tear · stand · bank · kid · charge · rest · hand · dip

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — in control
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — to tease

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