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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 120 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: last · charge · perch · fan · trunk · chair · stand · bound

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — to bear
  3. last — finally
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — in control
  7. bound — tied together
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. last — to go on
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. last — final
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — a price
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chair — a leader
  24. perch — the fish

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