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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: leaves · ruler · vault · season · perch · rest · nail · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. season — of the year
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — a break
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — in sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — for a hammer

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