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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.

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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — to get on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — a thrill

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