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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a ring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chest — a box
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — for pool

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