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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. land — ground
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — clothes
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. file — a document
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. suit — to fit
  15. hand — help
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — a country

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