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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 120 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: suit · stand · wake · land · rest · arm · charge · perch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rest — a break
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — a trail
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rest — what's left
  12. suit — in cards
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. land — a country
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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