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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: season · row · rule · ruler · perch · kid · wake · mouse

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rule — government
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — in sport
  14. kid — child
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rule — a law
  24. row — a line

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