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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. capital — money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — boats
  19. capital — a city
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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