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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mug — a face
  8. row — a line
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — a cup
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tear — to rip
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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