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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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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 · lean · game · mine · perch · chair · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wake — a trail
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. present — the time now
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lean — thin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. game — wild animals
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. game — a match
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. present — there

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