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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 116 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 · kick · ruler · calf · snap · content · key · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. row — to paddle
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. snap — to click
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a line
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. content — happy
  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