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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. march — the month
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. march — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. safe — a strongbox

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