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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — to rob
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — in football
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fall — the season

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