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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. firm — decided
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — a company
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — in a road
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. capital — money

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