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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · spell · chair · bear · wound · charge · mug · jam

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. spell — letters
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spell — magic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bear — the animal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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