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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 120 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 · arm · safe · perch · cue · file · rest · coach

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — the fish
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a hint
  21. file — a tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cue — for pool
  24. file — a document

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