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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. sharp — clever
  3. land — to come down
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — a country
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — a tool
  9. present — there
  10. tear — to rip
  11. land — ground
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. tear — from crying

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