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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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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: cell · bark · charge · trunk · club · perch · lean · object

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. club — a group
  4. object — an aim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — a price
  9. cell — in biology
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — thin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cell — a phone
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. lean — to bend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — a thing

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