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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: charge · sharp · hand · lean · fine · bowl · stand · last

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lean — to bend
  4. last — to go on
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — all right
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fine — high quality
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — to bear

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