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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: tear · nail · calf · toast · hide · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. toast — bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tear — from crying

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