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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cap — of ice
  3. court — of a king
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bat — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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