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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — a city
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. squash — to crush
  10. current — happening now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — in control
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — of water
  23. arm — part of the body
  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