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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rock — music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. clip — to cut
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ground — a position
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bat — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ruler — for measuring

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