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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: leaves · temple · band · racket · ground · charge · wound · key

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. charge — electricity
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. key — the most important part
  8. charge — in control
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — the earth
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a music group
  19. key — for a lock
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — in music
  23. band — a ring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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