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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bound — certain
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rest — a break
  16. row — a line
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kick — in football
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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