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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: spell · last · perch · wave · rest · ruler · drill · root

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. root — the cause
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spell — letters
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — final
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — a short time
  23. last — finally
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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