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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. snap — to click
  10. tube — a container
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spring — of water
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. current — of water
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. current — electric
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spring — a coil
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spring — the season

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