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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — to come from
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — thin
  24. stem — of a plant

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