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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — a break
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. march — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — to tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — a gift
  24. march — the month

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