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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — to drill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bore — to tire
  24. leaves — lets stay

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