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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — a young 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