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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: wake · can · tear · safe · lean · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tear — to rip
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. can — a tin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — electricity
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — thin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. charge — in control
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — to bend

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