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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hand — help
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — farmland
  10. chip — for betting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — in cards
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — army training

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