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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: ruler · spell · march · perch · rest · bear · fall · court

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. court — of law
  7. rest — a break
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. march — the month
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. court — of a king
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — for sport

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