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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 116 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: perch · mark · fine · land · rest · charge · rush · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — to come down
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — a break
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — all right
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — ground
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. charge — in control
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. land — a country

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