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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 120 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: perch · race · rest · march · arm · bark · ruler · vault

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. race — a contest
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — humankind
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ruler — for measuring

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