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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: row · hand · season · chest · charge · object · wake · leaves

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. hand — help
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. season — of the year
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. object — to protest
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. row — to paddle
  17. chest — a box
  18. row — a line
  19. wake — a trail
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chest — of your body
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hand — in cards

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