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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.

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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: perch · wound · content · band · charge · sharp · lean · kick

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. band — a ring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. band — a music group
  11. lean — thin
  12. charge — in control
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — to bend
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. charge — a price
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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