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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — in cards
  5. club — for dancing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — a group
  8. bound — certain
  9. club — for golf
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. capital — a city
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — of the leg

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