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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tear — to rip
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — electricity
  5. current — happening now
  6. charge — in control
  7. board — to get on
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — happy
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — the amount
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tear — from crying

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