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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — money
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. file — a tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. board — to get on
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. capital — a city
  15. file — a document
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. branch — a division

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