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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: chip · last · perch · firm · pass · straw · hide · spell

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spell — magic
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. firm — a company
  5. last — final
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. last — finally
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. last — to go on
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pass — a permit
  19. spell — letters
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — decided
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — to succeed

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