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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: tear · pitcher · dip · charge · lie · lean · key · rest

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — the most important part
  12. charge — a price
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — thin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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