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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: charge · bowl · plane · perch · season · trunk · wake · march

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — electricity
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — the month
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — of the year
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. season — in sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. march — music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — the month
  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