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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — an aim
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kid — to tease
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — to handle
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. roll — a list
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. kid — child
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — to protest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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