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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — to eat with

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