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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · present · row · perch · season · charge · trunk · wound

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. row — to paddle
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — an injury
  7. present — a gift
  8. march — the month
  9. season — of the year
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — the time now
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — a price
  15. march — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — electricity
  18. season — in sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. present — there
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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