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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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 big letter
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lean — to bend
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. capital — money
  9. lean — thin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kick — in football
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — a path
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. charge — in control
  22. capital — a city
  23. charge — a price
  24. calf — a young animal

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