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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — a series
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tear — to rip
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chest — a box

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