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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — the amount
  5. perch — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — happy
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — soda
  10. race — a contest
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. bound — obliged
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bound — certain
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — tied together
  24. can — to be able to

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