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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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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: kick · bank · board · rash · charge · lie · fall · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kick — in football
  6. lie — to recline
  7. charge — in control
  8. board — a committee
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rash — a series
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — to get on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fall — the season
  24. bank — for money

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