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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — certain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — tied together
  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