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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: can · leaves · kick · toast · charge · fall · ground · rash

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — a series
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — bread
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — a position
  9. kick — in football
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — the season
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — electricity
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. toast — the most admired

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