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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spell — magic
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. clip — to cut
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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