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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spell — letters
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — to be able to
  15. scale — size or range
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — to protest
  21. pass — a permit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spell — a short time

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