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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: charge · wind · perch · key · arm · object · bat · wave

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. key — the most important part
  8. object — an aim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. charge — in control
  15. object — to protest
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wind — moving air

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