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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chair — a leader
  3. march — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kick — in football
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ruler — a monarch

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