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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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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: charge · perch · board · rest · saw · rule · tear · foot

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rule — a law
  10. rest — a break
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — in control
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. foot — a measure
  21. charge — electricity
  22. perch — the fish
  23. board — to get on
  24. perch — for a bird

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