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

Word bank: mark · rush · safe · ruler · bark · bat · snap · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. snap — to click
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mark — a trace
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bat — for baseball
  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