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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 · wound · charge · scale · date · sharp · ground · snap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. scale — size or range
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — an injury
  17. snap — to click
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ground — the earth
  22. date — the fruit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. sharp — clever

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