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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 120 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: ball · drill · perch · ruler · bay · bear · race · fall

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fall — the season
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. race — the arms race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. fall — to drop
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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