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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.

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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: perch · wake · march · clip · bowl · pass · rule · ruler

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rule — government
  4. perch — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. rule — a law
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. clip — to cut
  22. march — music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. clip — for paper

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