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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 120 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: perch · patient · trunk · can · fan · present · bear · charge

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. present — there
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — the time now
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — a gift
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — to be able to
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. charge — electricity
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. charge — in control

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