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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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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: rest · charge · hide · wind · perch · dip · bear · drill

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. drill — a practice
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rest — a break
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. charge — a price

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