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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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468
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: ruler · calf · straw · saw · pitch · can · face · bat

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. face — to point toward
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bat — in an idiom

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