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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — hurry
  3. board — to get on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rule — government
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. perch — the fish

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