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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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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — crushed
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. last — final
  11. ground — a position
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. shower — to wash
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. shower — rain

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