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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: wave · court · leaves · swing · fine · stem · key · charge

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. court — of a king
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — in control
  20. swing — in golf
  21. court — for sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — of the sea

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