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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 116 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: bank · pit · ruler · perch · cold · sharp · suit · rule

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rule — a law
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bank — for money
  24. suit — to fit

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