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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: charge · stand · file · perch · clip · rush · leaves · date

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. clip — to cut
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a document
  24. date — on the calendar

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