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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. file — a line of people
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chest — a box
  15. last — to go on
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wax — to grow
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — final
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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