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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. present — there
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — high quality
  12. band — a ring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — a grade
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bowl — a dish

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