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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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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 · lie · ruler · hand · last · staff · band · fan

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a music group
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. band — a ring
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — help
  24. last — final

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