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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: lean · lie · charge · mate · bound · present · can · rash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. present — there
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — the time now
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — to recline
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bound — certain
  15. present — a gift
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rash — hasty

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