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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: wound · file · fall · rest · perch · ball · charge · mine

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rest — a break
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a document
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a great time
  21. file — a line of people
  22. charge — electricity
  23. file — a tool
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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