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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.

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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 · squash · scale · calf · pit · lie · rest · kid

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pit — a hole
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — in a race
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kid — child
  24. scale — in music

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