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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · charge · stand · wave · bore · face · clip · fine

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bore — to drill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bore — to tire
  16. face — to confront
  17. charge — in control
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — electricity
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fine — all right

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