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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · chair · root · calf · charge · wind · rush

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. charge — in control
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — of a word
  16. rush — hurry
  17. root — the cause
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — moving air

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