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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: perch · lie · mine · can · charge · last · bound · deal

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bound — tied together
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — to go on
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. charge — in control
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — electricity
  19. last — finally
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — to be able to

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