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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: bound · hand · lash · snap · perch · pit · charge · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — electricity
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — certain
  16. snap — to click
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. perch — the fish
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lash — to lash out
  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