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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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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: chair · leaves · charge · rest · bore · prune · bowl · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rest — a break
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — a leader
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — in control
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bore — to tire
  24. leaves — of a tree

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