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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. perch — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — a company
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — in music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — decided
  22. tear — to rip
  23. charge — in control
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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