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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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