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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. capital — money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lean — thin
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — a weight
  12. row — a line
  13. lie — to recline
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — to bend
  23. row — to paddle
  24. calf — a young animal

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