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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: pass · arm · cabinet · chip · perch · tear · charge · bound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bound — certain
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — to rip
  20. charge — a price
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — in control
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chip — for betting

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