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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: drill · hand · mate · wave · deal · perch · file · charge

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a line of people
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — help
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a document
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. perch — the fish
  19. file — a tool
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — part of the body

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