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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. band — a music group
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. charge — electricity
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. court — of law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. file — a document
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a line of people
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — for sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. calf — a young animal

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