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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — money
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mark — a trace
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cap — a lid
  21. capital — a city
  22. rock — a stone
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. clip — a video

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