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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: wake · wave · sharp · present · arm · tear · leaves · charge

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. charge — electricity
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. present — the time now
  13. tear — to rip
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. charge — in control
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. present — there
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wake — a trail
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — of the sea
  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