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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. rash — a series
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. last — finally
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — of a river
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — final
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rash — hasty

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