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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mug — a face
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fine — all right
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — a trail
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. capital — a city
  13. mug — a cup
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. capital — money
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fine — high quality
  24. charge — electricity

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