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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.

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: bear · charge · perch · can · dip · bay · rock · mine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. perch — the fish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. mine — for digging
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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