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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: perch · spell · drill · lash · ruler · snap · cabinet · roll

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. spell — a short time
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — army training
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. drill — a practice
  11. spell — magic
  12. roll — a list
  13. snap — to click
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. roll — on a roll

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