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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — magic
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spell — a short time
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — steady
  9. bound — tied together
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. object — a thing
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. race — humankind
  20. object — to protest
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. object — an aim
  24. bound — certain

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