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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rule — a law
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — to get on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — government
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a committee
  24. rule — to rule out

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