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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
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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: perch · bat · wake · mate · board · shower · charge · safe

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mate — a partner
  3. shower — to wash
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wake — a trail
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — rain
  18. charge — a price
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wake — before a funeral

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