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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. field — farmland
  4. march — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — a subject
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bark — to shout
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. calf — a young animal
  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