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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.

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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: band · pass · fall · lie · bore · hand · charge · perch

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — the season
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. charge — in control
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — help
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to tire
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. charge — a price

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