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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — for sport
  4. spring — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bound — certain
  11. court — of a king
  12. spring — of water
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — the fish
  24. coach — a trainer

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