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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitch — completely
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — a hat
  14. row — to paddle
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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