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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mate · spell · perch · rush · root · land · chip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. root — the cause
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — a country
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — ground
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. ruler — for measuring

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