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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — the season
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — final
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. last — finally
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. last — to go on
  24. cell — in biology

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