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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · rest · leaves · fork · chair · drill

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chair — a leader
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. drill — a practice
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. chair — to sit on

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