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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: spring · present · kid · perch · charge · wake · trunk · board

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. spring — the season
  4. kid — to tease
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spring — of water
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. charge — in control
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. spring — a coil
  18. perch — the fish
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. charge — a price
  24. trunk — of a car

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