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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. capital — a city
  3. mug — a face
  4. kid — to tease
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. perch — the fish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — in cards
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. suit — clothes
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mark — a trace
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — child
  23. capital — money
  24. mug — a cup

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