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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: perch · rule · cell · root · ruler · last · nail · leaves

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — in biology
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rule — government
  7. root — of a word
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — finally
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. perch — the fish
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law
  19. root — the cause
  20. last — final
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — to go on
  24. leaves — lets stay

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