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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — to paddle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a document
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cap — a hat
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — a line
  24. cap — of ice

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