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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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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. roll — a cake
  4. perch — the fish
  5. roll — a list
  6. club — a group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. club — for golf
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spell — a short time
  24. coach — a trainer

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