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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · band · kid · charge · land · leaves · spring · perch

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. land — to come down
  5. kid — to tease
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — a price
  9. spring — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — ground
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kid — child
  15. band — a music group
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — electricity
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — in control
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. band — a ring

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