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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: last · perch · chip · fall · stick · rule · mine · can

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. last — finally
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — government
  23. last — final
  24. fall — to drop

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