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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · bound · stick · spell · season · can · perch · lash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — tied together
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — letters
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — certain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rule — a law
  19. can — to be able to
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — government
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bound — obliged

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