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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lean — to bend
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ground — a position
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kid — child
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cap — a hat

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