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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · hide · perch · rash · charge · capital · wave · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — a series
  7. charge — electricity
  8. capital — a city
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — in control
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. season — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. perch — the fish

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