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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · land · straw · ruler · bear · calf

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. land — a country
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. land — to come down
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. land — ground
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal

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