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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — letters
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — magic
  10. perch — the fish
  11. object — to protest
  12. bound — certain
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — the season

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