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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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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: mate · hide · charge · arm · drill · wave · bowl · perch

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. drill — army training
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — a friend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — a price
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mate — to breed
  24. drill — a practice

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