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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — to get on
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hand — help
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. rash — a series
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. capital — a city
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — hasty

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