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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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468
Word bank
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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: wake · ruler · perch · stem · rock · dip · bound · wound

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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