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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: deal · ruler · cold · perch · roll · safe · snap · foot

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — not warm
  3. snap — to click
  4. cold — an illness
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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