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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: wind · charge · saw · cabinet · perch · spell · stick · bear

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — letters
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — magic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. saw — the tool

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