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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — wild animals
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fine — high quality
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. calf — a young animal
  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