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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — clever
  10. staff — a stick
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — a container
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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