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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pass — a permit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. track — a path
  13. spring — the season
  14. fall — the season
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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