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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: leaves · hand · arm · kick · charge · spell · stock · fall

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stock — shares
  4. spell — letters
  5. fall — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — goods
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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