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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · calf · rock · bear · mine · content · date · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — happy
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — a stone
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. date — on the calendar

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