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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.

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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: leaves · wake · mate · kick · charge · bay · lean · hide

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. kick — in football
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — thin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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