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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. net — in sport
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — of law
  10. net — for catching
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — after costs
  14. kick — in football
  15. court — of a king
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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