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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: lash · leaves · bound · charge · wake · racket · land · foot

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. bound — tied together
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. land — to come down
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. bound — obliged
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — certain
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. leaves — to go away

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