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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · leaves · perch · fall · object · race · charge · lie

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — a container
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — the season
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. charge — electricity
  7. object — an aim
  8. perch — the fish
  9. object — to protest
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. race — a contest
  21. lie — to recline
  22. race — humankind
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. leaves — to go away

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