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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: leaves · charge · last · stock · lie · mate · bat · bank

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — of a river
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bat — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. stock — shares
  16. mate — a friend
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stock — goods
  19. charge — in control
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. last — final
  24. lie — an untruth

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