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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a face
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bat — the 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