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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. perch — the fish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. charge — a price
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chest — a box
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — in cards
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. present — the time now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — there
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. present — a gift
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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