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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — the time now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. present — there
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — of the leg

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