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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: leaves · perch · kid · charge · hand · pit · can · lash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as 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. can — a tin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. charge — a price
  4. kid — to tease
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kid — child
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pit — in a race
  20. hand — help
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  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