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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · rush · rule · stick · wound · roll · perch · season

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — a law
  3. season — of the year
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — of a plant
  7. roll — a cake
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — in sport
  11. roll — a list
  12. root — the cause
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rule — government
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — for a bird

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