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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: arm · leaves · fall · racket · band · wound · charge · bay

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. band — a ring
  5. charge — in control
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fall — to drop
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — to drop
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a music group
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — the season
  24. racket — a loud noise

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