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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hand — help
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — in cards
  10. object — to protest
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — a thing
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — government
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chest — a box

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