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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — certain
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. march — the month

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