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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: rash · mug · wound · wake · charge · row · leaves · firm

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. row — a line
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — steady
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. firm — decided
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. row — to paddle
  20. firm — a company
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wound — an injury

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