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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. mug — a cup
  3. capital — a city
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — to rob
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cue — for pool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — a face
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  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