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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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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: kick · wind · lean · cap · charge · band · racket · rule

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — a law
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cap — a lid
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a music group
  10. kick — in football
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rule — government
  16. charge — in control
  17. band — a ring
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — a thrill
  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