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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a word
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a plant
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. root — the cause
  24. bear — to put up with

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