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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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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: rush · present · plane · race · perch · pass · charge · cell

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — in biology
  9. charge — in control
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cell — a phone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. race — a contest
  18. rush — hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — the time now
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. race — the arms race

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