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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rule — government
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rule — a law
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. row — a line
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lean — to bend

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