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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: perch · lie · charge · hide · can · shower · game · deal

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a match
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — wild animals
  17. can — a tin
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — to be able to

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