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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spring — the season
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mine — for digging
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — a series
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — of water
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mine — belonging to me

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