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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mug — a face
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — a committee
  7. cell — in biology
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — a city
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. board — to get on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. capital — money
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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