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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — in music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. scale — size or range
  7. capital — money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tear — to rip
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — to be able to
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tear — from crying
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — a safe

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