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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: perch · cue · lean · wake · calf · charge · land · staff

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — a country
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. land — ground
  7. cue — a hint
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — in control
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. perch — the fish
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. staff — a stick
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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