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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: pound · dip · lean · cold · chair · ruler · game · calf

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cold — not warm
  7. game — a match
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — thin
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chair — to sit on

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