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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: saw · march · cap · lie · rule · scale · ruler · spell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. march — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — government
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. march — the month
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. spell — letters
  22. rule — a law
  23. lie — to recline
  24. scale — in music

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