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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mate — to breed
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a friend
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — a partner
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — a tin
  18. last — to go on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — boats
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a skill

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