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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — a permit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kick — in football
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pass — to succeed

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