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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. suit — clothes
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — a short time
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. spell — magic
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. club — a group
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spell — letters
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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