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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
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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: date · band · hide · leaves · squash · bound · perch · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — in control
  16. squash — the sport
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a ring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — the fruit

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