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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 120 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 · rush · bark · rule · wave · land · foot · rest

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — to come down
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. land — a country
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — a break
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rest — what's left
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rule — a law
  15. foot — a measure
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rule — government
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — the fish
  24. land — ground

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