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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. capital — a city
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. charge — a price
  11. drill — army training
  12. last — finally
  13. charge — in control
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. capital — money
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — high quality
  19. drill — a practice
  20. row — a line
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. last — to go on

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