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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: stand · leaves · file · fall · wind · ball · hand · charge

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stand — to bear
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fall — to drop
  9. file — a tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — help
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. charge — a price
  19. file — a document
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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