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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: charge · present · staff · mate · bat · rest · perch · sharp

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — a gift
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — a stick
  8. charge — a price
  9. staff — employees
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — to breed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bat — the animal

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