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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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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spell — letters
  18. branch — a division
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — in football
  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