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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: rash · lean · wake · march · lie · racket · sharp · charge

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rash — a series
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wake — a trail
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — thin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — a price
  21. lie — to recline
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wake — before a funeral

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