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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. net — for catching
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — in music

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