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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 120 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 · wave · track · kick · net · cap · lean · swing

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. track — a song
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lean — to bend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — after costs
  12. cap — a lid
  13. swing — music
  14. kick — in football
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — thin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — a price

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