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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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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: charge · snap · rock · calf · clip · perch · bear · jam

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. charge — in control
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. charge — a price
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. jam — a tight spot

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