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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.

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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: ruler · file · rash · foot · perch · cap · key · row

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — to paddle
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rash — hasty
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cap — a hat
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. row — a line
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — a measure
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. file — a document
  21. key — in music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a line of people

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