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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — a gift
  11. clip — to cut
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. squash — the sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. present — there
  21. clip — for paper
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. safe — a strongbox

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