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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kid — child
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. drill — a practice
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. drill — army training
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — for measuring

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