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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: mug · cell · ruler · perch · race · lash · pit · land

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. land — to come down
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — ground
  9. mug — a cup
  10. race — a contest
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mug — a face
  13. pit — in a race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. land — a country
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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