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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hand · pass · perch · charge · cue · bass · rash · tear

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — low music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hand — help
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. charge — a price
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — in control
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pass — a permit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rash — a series
  24. hand — part of the body

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