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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.

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: calf · wake · ruler · spell · tear · land · date · rash

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spell — a short time
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — a country
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — ground
  18. rash — a series
  19. land — to come down
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spell — letters
  24. calf — of the leg

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