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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. perch — the fish
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a path
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hand — in cards
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — a song
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hand — part of the body

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