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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — an aim
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. object — a thing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. capital — a city
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. capital — money
  20. kid — to tease
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — of the leg

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