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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.

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: charge · rock · mug · capital · perch · fan · snap · last

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — a cup
  4. capital — a city
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mug — to rob
  12. last — finally
  13. charge — in control
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rock — a stone
  19. last — final
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — a price
  22. snap — to click
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rock — music

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