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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: racket · wound · charge · pitcher · snap · race · spell · leaves

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. charge — in control
  3. race — a contest
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — humankind
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — magic
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to click
  21. spell — letters
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. spell — a short time
  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