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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · calf · hand · mine · wound · ruler · pound · net

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — in sport
  9. hand — help
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. net — for catching
  13. lean — thin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — after costs
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mine — for digging

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