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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: perch · fall · can · mug · charge · snap · coach · ball

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mug — to rob
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — a price
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — a face
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. coach — a trainer

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