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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rule — government
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — in sport
  7. fall — the season
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rule — a law
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — after costs
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — for catching
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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