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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: kid · leaves · cell · charge · racket · net · face · craft

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. net — in sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — child
  7. cell — a phone
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. cell — in biology
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. face — to confront
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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