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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
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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: pitcher · fan · lean · wave · prune · squash · charge · perch

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. charge — electricity
  4. squash — to crush
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — in control
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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