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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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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: row · lash · ruler · capital · calf · wake · content · firm

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. firm — steady
  3. content — the amount
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. content — happy
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. firm — a company
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wake — a trail

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