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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.

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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: chest · perch · wound · face · tube · charge · fork · bulb

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tube — a container
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — to point toward
  19. perch — the fish
  20. face — part of the head
  21. tube — the underground
  22. face — to confront
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — for a bird

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