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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hand — help
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. content — happy
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. content — the amount
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — in control
  20. hand — in cards
  21. sharp — clever
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. nail — for a hammer

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