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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — the season
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. rock — a stone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. capital — money
  16. rock — music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — to visit

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