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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — certain
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — of water
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spring — the season
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rush — hurry
  16. perch — the fish
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bound — tied together
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to click
  22. bound — obliged
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. chair — a leader

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