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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. chest — a box
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — a thing
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — to protest
  24. calf — a young animal

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