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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: face · perch · charge · trunk · file · wave · rock · cabinet

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. charge — in control
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — a price
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. file — a document
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. face — to confront
  24. rock — a stone

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