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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: chest · ruler · lean · wind · leaves · charge · lie · suit

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — in cards
  8. charge — a price
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chest — a box

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