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

Word bank: spell · dip · tear · content · last · perch · ruler · race

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. race — humankind
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. last — finally
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. race — the arms race
  12. last — to go on
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — magic
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. race — a contest
  19. spell — letters
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. last — final
  23. spell — a short time
  24. content — happy

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