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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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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: straw · firm · calf · ground · kick · ruler · pop · cap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. firm — steady
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — music
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — a company
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — in football
  23. pop — soda
  24. firm — decided

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