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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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Word bank
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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. race — humankind
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hand — help
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — the arms race
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — a contest
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mine — an explosive

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