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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — a safe
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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