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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. can — to be able to
  4. club — for golf
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. club — for dancing
  9. can — a tin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — a group
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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