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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — money
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. capital — a city
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. plane — a tool

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