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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. land — a country
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — bread
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — to come down
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bound — certain
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. toast — the most admired

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