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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.

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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: chair · charge · wave · bay · track · clip · mouse · perch

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. charge — a price
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chair — a leader
  16. track — a song
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. charge — in control
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — a video
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. perch — the fish

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