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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. capital — a city
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. capital — money
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tear — to rip
  13. perch — the fish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — for measuring

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