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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 116 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: perch · season · tear · bowl · key · sharp · rest · charge

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — in control
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. charge — a price
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — of the year
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — the most important part
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — a break
  23. charge — electricity
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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