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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: march · leaves · tube · rest · hand · roll · ruler · spell

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hand — help
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. march — music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tube — a container
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — a short time
  19. roll — a cake
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. roll — a list

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