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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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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: charge · date · fine · wake · perch · hide

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — in control
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — a trail
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fine — all right
  18. hide — animal skin

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