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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — money
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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