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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.

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: chair · charge · clip · saw · lean · mine · leaves · bank

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — a price
  6. clip — a video
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bank — of a river
  9. charge — in control
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lean — to bend
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. clip — for paper

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