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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lie · wake · track · foot · degree · charge · chair

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. degree — temperature
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. degree — an amount
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. degree — from a university
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a path

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