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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: saw · perch · trunk · wave · squash · tear · bulb · charge

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bulb — for light

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