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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 116 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: fall · perch · ruler · land · lean · kick · cue · march

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — the season
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. land — to come down
  7. march — the month
  8. land — a country
  9. cue — a hint
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. land — ground
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ruler — for measuring

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