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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: chip · ball · can · ruler · rest · calf · date · tear

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tear — to rip
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. can — a tin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — of the leg

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