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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — wild animals
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. game — a match
  8. spell — magic
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lash — an eyelash

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