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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: mate · charge · perch · tear · calf · fall · prune · rest

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fall — the season
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — in control
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. prune — to trim

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