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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: lash · field · branch · tear · perch · charge · toast · pass

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tear — to rip
  5. field — for sport
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — electricity
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. toast — bread
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. field — farmland
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — in control
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. field — a subject
  23. branch — a division
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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