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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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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: wound · calf · mark · mug · bound · perch · ruler · last

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — a trace
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mug — a face
  6. last — final
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — finally
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — to go on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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