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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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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: object · stick · wound · bowl · present · leaves · race · charge

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. race — a contest
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — to protest
  8. wound — an injury
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. race — humankind
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — there
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. object — a thing
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — electricity
  23. present — a gift
  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