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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. shower — rain
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — a company
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. shower — to wash
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. file — a document
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. firm — steady
  24. stand — for spectators

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