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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — tied together
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rash — a series
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. perch — the fish

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