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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a line
  9. bank — of a river
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cold — an illness
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — letters
  24. cold — the Cold War

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