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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: ruler · racket · cold · leaves · lash · rock · perch · suit

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cold — not warm
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rock — music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rock — a stone

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