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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — finally
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kid — child
  10. kick — in football
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — final
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. last — to go on
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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