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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 · press · perch · fork · plane · band · pass · shower

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. band — a ring
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. charge — in control
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. shower — rain
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. press — to push
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a music group
  23. fork — in a road
  24. charge — a price

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