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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 116 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: lean · wave · charge · content · rock · row · present · mug

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lean — thin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — to paddle
  8. content — happy
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — to bend
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mug — a face
  17. charge — in control
  18. present — a gift
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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