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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: mine · perch · charge · pass · wound · deal

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. charge — in control
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pass — a permit
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — an agreement

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