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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: kid · wound · foot · ruler · fall · season · rule · perch

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fall — the season
  4. perch — the fish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. season — in sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — child
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — part of the body

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