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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. fall — the season
  2. bound — tied together
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mark — a trace
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fall — to drop
  14. content — happy
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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