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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — clothes
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — of ice
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — government
  22. perch — the fish
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rule — a law

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