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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — all right
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — in cards

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