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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 124 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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — a position
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — electric
  20. drill — army training
  21. ground — crushed
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ground — the earth

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