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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: charge · sharp · rest · lean · leaves · wake · land · foot

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. land — ground
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rest — a break
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — a country
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lean — thin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. land — to come down
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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