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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. march — music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — the month
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bulb — for light

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