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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. capital — money
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. toast — bread
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the 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