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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 · spell · bound · kick · field · bank · arm · charge

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lean — to bend
  10. field — farmland
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. field — a subject
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — certain
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — of a river

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