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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — a cake
  10. deal — to handle
  11. field — a subject
  12. clip — a video
  13. field — for sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. field — farmland
  19. clip — for paper
  20. roll — a list
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mouse — for a computer

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