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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: perch · drill · key · fall · ruler · rash · wind · track

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — army training
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fall — the season
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a path
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rash — a series
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rash — hasty

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