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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bound — tied together
  3. band — a music group
  4. last — to go on
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — certain
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. last — finally
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — letters
  21. last — final
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — steady

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