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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. last — finally
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. last — to go on
  16. present — there
  17. last — final
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — of the leg

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