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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: squash · perch · bear · cap · bound · chest · firm · can

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — a box
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — steady
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — to crush
  24. firm — decided

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