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

Word bank: wind · foot · calf · bat · hide · ruler

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure

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