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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fall — the season
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fall — to drop
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hand — help
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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