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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. row — a line
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. face — to confront
  24. kick — in football

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