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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mate — a friend
  3. clip — for paper
  4. spell — a short time
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mate — a partner
  7. roll — a list
  8. clip — a video
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — magic
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bear — the animal

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