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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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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: drill · ruler · perch · chair · bear · rule · vault · hide

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. drill — army training
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rule — government
  24. hide — to keep secret

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