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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: chest · mark · net · present · charge · leaves · can · saw

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — the time now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. present — there
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chest — a box
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — a price
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. net — in sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — in control

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