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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: race · rule · fall · trunk · perch · ruler · track · season

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. track — a path
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. season — of the year
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — in sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fall — to drop
  13. race — humankind
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. race — a contest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. track — to keep track
  19. perch — the fish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — government
  24. track — a song

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