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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: craft · hide · saw · can · wake · charge · perch · tube

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. perch — the fish
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a skill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — boats
  17. can — to be able to
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — in control
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — the underground

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