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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 120 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: charge · wake · rest · saw · rule · leaves · club · wound

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. charge — a price
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — lets stay

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