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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.

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: mark · perch · pop · straw · leaves · ball · plane · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mark — a trace
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. charge — a price
  21. plane — a tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. straw — dry grass

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