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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — letters
  4. drill — a practice
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — to rip
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — of a plant

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