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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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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: chest · prune · lean · perch · wake · coach · ruler · game

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chest — a box
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lean — thin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — the fruit

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