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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: tube · perch · land · wave · charge · staff · spell · bore

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — magic
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spell — letters
  6. tube — a container
  7. land — to come down
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — ground
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — the underground
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. perch — the fish

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