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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. drill — the tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — army training
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lie — to recline

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