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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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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: stand · arm · mate · tear · can · perch · deal · bound

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — to handle
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bound — certain
  12. mate — a partner
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bound — obliged
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mate — to breed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. tear — to rip

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