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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: perch · rest · dip · rule · land · lie · craft · spring

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. spring — a coil
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — a break
  5. land — ground
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — the season
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. craft — boats
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — a country
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — to recline

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