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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: chest · leaves · lie · sharp · charge · rule · bass · mouse

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. chest — of your body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — government
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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