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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stock — shares
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — a break
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — a face

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