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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: charge · leaves · lean · ground · bowl · tear · wax · key

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. charge — in control
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — a price

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