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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 · file · perch · can · kick · ground · arm · dip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kick — in football
  8. dip — to sink
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — electricity
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. file — a document
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a tool
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. file — a line of people
  24. dip — a sauce

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