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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. track — to keep track
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. track — a path
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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