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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: band · perch · row · mate · cap · lean · deal · ruler

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a music group
  5. row — to paddle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — to bend
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. row — a line
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lean — thin
  20. band — a ring
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. perch — for a bird

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