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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
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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 · cap · cold · saw · drill · leaves · perch · mug

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mug — a cup
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — of ice
  5. perch — the fish
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. charge — a price
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — electricity
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. drill — army training
  18. mug — a face
  19. cold — not warm
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mug — to rob
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — a hat

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