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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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. firm — a company
  4. degree — from a university
  5. last — to go on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. last — final
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — finally
  13. foot — a measure
  14. firm — decided
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. firm — steady
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wind — moving air

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