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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · object · rest · spell · perch · date · deal · cabinet

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. firm — steady
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. object — a thing
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — a short time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — a company
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — decided
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. date — the fruit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spell — magic
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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