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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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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: spell · march · bay · ruler · rule · clip · calf · lie

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. march — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. spell — magic
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rule — a law
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rule — government

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