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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: field · perch · mug · hide · spring · charge · rush · row

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a face
  4. field — farmland
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — a subject
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a cup
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — hurry
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. charge — a price
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. mug — to rob
  24. field — for sport

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